April 10, 2008

Last week there was some speculation that Brett Favre might come back to the NFL for a team other than the Green Bay Packers, but Favre quickly shot those rumors down. This time the stir is being caused by Favre from an interview a few days ago. In a news story from Biloxi’s Sun Herald he interviewed with a reporter and said that he might come back next season for the Packers, if they need him. (Here Favre Goes Again)

The Masters, one of golf’s great tournaments, starts today and Awful Announcing offers us some reasons on why we should watch it. Other than Tiger Woods… (Watch the Masters)

Last Thursday, a girl named ‘Alexa Rodriguez’ was attacked by a hawk while touring Fenway Park in Boston, and honestly I am surprised that this story wasn’t a bigger deal. (When Hawks Attack)

Empty the Bench has a great list of the NBA’s top comeback players of the year. (Empty the Bench)

I don’t know if everyone saw the baseball scores from last night, but the San Francisco Giants actually pitched a 1-0 shutout over the San Diego Padres. (See it, believe it)

Speaking of Barry Bonds, Roto Arcade has some news that the Detroit Tigers might be looking at signing him and they believe if they do than it will be a big mistake. (Keep Bonds Unemployed)

April 4, 2008

Here is your fourth installment of a new column called ‘Top 10 Things In Sports’, a new weekly article that I write. Here is your list of the Top 10 worst franchises in all of pro sports; both the history and the present are taken into account for the list.

Once again, let the sucking begin.

#10 San Francisco Giants 222-263 (.458, last 3 seasons)

The last three seasons haven’t even been about baseball in San Francisco; they’ve just been about Barry Bonds. With all the attention on Bonds setting the home-run record, no one really noticed that the Giants were at or near the bottom of the NL West; but everyone will notice this year. I think the San Francisco Giants have a real shot at going 1-161 this season.

#9 Los Angeles Kings 58-83-21 9 (.358, last 2 seasons)

During the last two NHL regular seasons the only race that the LA Kings have been in is for the coveted worst team in the NHL award, and this year they seem to have won. More than them just being a bad team they own the rights to the third worst goaltending in the league and the second worst penalty killing; keep it up guys.

#8 Milwaukee Bucks 54-102 (.346, last 2 seasons)

The Milwaukee Bucks are the reason there aren’t many sports teams in the state of Wisconsin. They have finished last in the Eastern Conference Central the four seasons since the NBA’s divisions were restructured. On a side note, the Bucks surrender one of the four highest field goal percentages to opposing teams. The other three NBA teams (no surprise) are also on this list. And I didn’t believe all those people when they said ‘Defense wins Championships’.

#7 Memphis Grizzlies 42-115 (.268, last 2 seasons)

You can kind of ignore the numbers on this one because it could get a lot worse in the next few years to come. The Memphis Grizzlies could become one of the elite worst teams in the NBA without Pau Gasol, especially if their draft picks like Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gay don’t work out for them. At least they have younger brother, Marc Gasol…

#6 Miami Heat 13-62 (.173, this season)

Is this the same Miami team that won the NBA Champion only 2 years ago? The answer, obviously, is no, but talk about a fall from glory. This team went 2-15 in the month of March, 2-10 in February, and an even worse 1-11 in January. To be fair this team has been banged up this season including superstars Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion, but also to be fair, this team will be remembered as one of the worst in the league in a long time.

#5 Miami Dolphins 7-26 (.212, last 2 seasons)

The city of Miami sure is putting out some winners this year. If anyone should feel bad about the Dolphin’s 1-15 season it should be the Baltimore Ravens who actually lost to them. Come on Bill Parcells, straighten these mofos up!

#4 Kansas City Royals 245-399 (.380, last 4 seasons)

When I was looking up the Royals’ past few seasons I wasn’t surprised at all. Everyone talks about how they suck and they really do sporting one 90 loss season and three 100 loss seasons. This season things are looking up for a change; the KC Royals are a whooping 3-0 and could win more than 70 games …and… still finish last in the AL Central.

#3 New York Knicks 109-215 (.336, last 4 seasons)

The New York Knicks have been very consistent over the past four years, only the wrong kind of consistent. Two seasons ago the Knicks were the worst team in the NBA and believe me, they haven’t gotten any better; others teams have just gotten a little worse. Last year the stir was Isiah Thomas and his legal trouble, and this year the NYK have turned one of the greatest sports’ venues into the Madison Snore Garden.

#2 Oakland Raiders 16-71 (.184, last 5 seasons)

At this point, if I was a Oakland Raider fan I would be so outraged that I might just revoke my fan hood. Whoever is in charge of all of the Raiders’ bad decisions should just quit. And if it’s owner Al Davis than he should really think about putting up the team for public auction.

#1 Pittsburgh Pirates 552 -742 (.427, last 8 seasons)

The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t wow you with their suck factor as they fly a little bit under the radar because they no longer have any fans. Don’t worry though, this team can definitively hold it’s title of ‘Worst franchise in all of pro sports.’ The Pirates haven’t made the playoffs or had a winning season since 1992, the last year Barry Bonds was on the team. Don’t get too excited either because the end isn’t in sight, with 15 straight losing seasons, and counting.

April 1, 2008

Today was the first day of the MLB season and you know what that means – six straight months of baseball in the news each and every day. Brace yourself…

There were some very good baseball games on today’s slate, the best of which was probably the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Atlanta Braves 12-11 in twelve innings. The game went back and forth and just didn’t seem to want to end. Another great game was the Brewers versus the Cubs, at least minus the first eight (scoreless) innings of the game. Starters, Ben Sheets and Carlos Zambrano, pitched some great ball, but when it came down to crunch-time in the ninth inning it was a completely different story. Two of the most under-achieving pitchers in baseball took the stage.

You guessed it, Eric Gagne and Kerry Wood. In the top of the ninth-inning Wood gave up three runs to the Milwaukee Brewers, as they took the 3-0 lead. Then in the bottom of the same inning something extraordinary happened. Kosuke Fukudome, Japanese native and cousin of competetive hot-dog eater Kobayashi, came up to the plate. The setting seemed electric as the entire crowd sang in chant, “Fu-ko-do-me”, and on the fifth pitch of the at-bat he hit a home run to tie the game at 3-3. Too bad for the Chicago Cubs that they still lost, 4-3, and still won’t end their World Series drought of exactly 100 years. Don’t feel bad Kerry Wood, you aren’t the reason…at least entirely.

My personal pick for the World Series champion this year is the New York Mets. They are pretty good and if anyone has a chance to dethrone the gross Yankee-Red Sox duo than it’s them. So, come on, Johan Santana, don’t win the World Series for yourself, or your team, or even your fans – do it for the Yankee haters.